Finally, we get turn the page on 2022 and look ahead to 2023.
The Broncos have plenty of work to do this year; they have to hire a coach, rebuild a broken offense and try to fix their 34-year-old quarterback, who is coming off his worst NFL season. We’re looking into our crystal ball and guess what will happen.
The final game of the 2023 season is scheduled for the first week of 2024, so we’ll leave that game out of these predictions for the most part.
Here’s what will happen in Denver before the calendar flips to 2024:
1. Jim Harbaugh will be the Broncos’ head coach
The bookies might say that Dan Quinn is the favorite to be the Broncos’ 19th head coach but when push comes to shove, Jim Harbaugh will be the man in charge. He’ll make nearly $20 million per year on a seven-year contract. He’ll choose either Pep Hamilton or David Shaw to be offensive coordinator.
2. Alex Singleton and DeShawn Williams return
Two Broncos stepped up big-time in the front seven, and both will be rewarded. Alex Singleton and DeShawn Williams will both re-sign in Denver, and they’ll double their pay from 2022.
3. Dre’Mont Jones and Dalton Risner will not return
Two big men in the trenches are on track for raises, but they’ll have to look elsewhere. Dre’Mont Jones will take $8 million on a one-year contract to try to improve his value. Risner will make just under $10 million per season on a three-year deal.
4. The Broncos will give $10 million to a free-agent running back
Six running backs have earned $10 million contracts in free agency in the past three offseasons. (The second-largest of those deals was the two-year, $12 million contract that Melvin Gordon signed with the Broncos.) The 2023 free-agent running back class is the best in recent memory, and at least starting backs will hit the market. The Broncos may not land a big name like Saquon Barkley, but they’ll wind up with a back who will make eight figures over the course of his time in Denver.
5. The Broncos will give $10 million per year to two different linemen
Connor McGovern? Isaac Seumalo? Mike McGlinchey? Orlando Brown Jr.? I don’t know which linemen the Broncos will choose, but they’ll take two of the big-money guys and try to rebuild their line.
6. Three of the Broncos’ first four draft picks will help the running game
The best way to help Russell Wilson is to build him a running game. The Broncos will invest draft capital in doing that. Of the first four picks, three will be offensive linemen, tight ends, running backs… or maybe even North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke.
7. The Broncos will pick up Jerry Jeudy’s option
The former first-round draft pick is under contract for 2023, but the Broncos need to decide this offseason whether they’ll exercise Jerry Jeudy’s fifth-year option for the 2024 season. The price tag is a little over $12 million, which would slide Jeudy barely into the top 30 of highest-paid receivers. He’s worth it. The Broncos will opt in.
8. The NFL will schedule the Broncos for three primetime games
The NFL maxed the Broncos out with five primetime appearances in 2022. The results were less than spectacular. This time around the NFL will only put Denver on the national stage three times, which is just below the league average.
9. The starters will play in the preseason
Nathaniel Hackett was generally praised for following the league trend and not playing his starters in any of the Broncos’ three preseason games. The Broncos will change things up under new leadership and run one of the toughest training camps in the NFL.
10. The offensive line will have three new starters on opening day
Garett Bolles and Quinn Meinerz will return as starters for the Broncos, but the other three opening-day starters from 2022 will be replaced. Two will come from free agency and the third will be a rookie.
11. Javonte Williams will return in October
The NFL standard for a return from an ACL injury is creeping down to nine months, but Javonte Williams did more damage than just tearing his ACL. His recovery will require a full 12 months and he will return in October. He won’t play the best ball of his career in 2023, but he will be a productive back.
12. The Broncos are sellers at the trade deadline
Denver will be tempted to add players at the trade deadline, and they might bite on a pass-rusher, but the story of the deadline will be the Broncos selling off assets. They’re back-logged with good-but-not-great outside linebackers, and they’ll wait until the deadline to make their moves at the position in case of early-season injuries. Denver will move a running back after Javonte Williams returns from injury.
13. The Broncos will win on Thanksgiving
On top of three primetime games, the Broncos will travel to Detroit to play on Thanksgiving. They’ll knock off the Lions behind a big performance from Russell Wilson.
14. Nobody earns an in-season extension
For the second consecutive season, the Broncos won’t hand out an extension before the season ends. Josey Jewell, Mike Purcell, Chase Edmonds, Graham Glasgow, Ronald Darby, Lloyd Cushenberry and KJ Hamler are among the players who would be eligible.
15. The Chiefs’ streak will continue
Sadly, 2023 will not be the season that the Broncos stop the Chiefs. Luckily, the NFL will schedule the Broncos to play the Chiefs in Denver in Week 18, which will happen after the new year. They’ll have a chance to start 2024 with a massive game against Kansas City.
16. The Broncos will have three Pro Bowlers
The Broncos have combined for one Pro Bowl nod in two seasons, but their luck will turn in 2023. Pat Surtain and Jerry Jeudy will make the Pro Bowl. One more player will, too. Justin Simmons could be the favorite, but only one free safety makes the roster which sets a high standard. I’ll take Quinn Meinerz as the third Pro Bowler.
17. The Broncos won’t finish top-25 in sacks
Denver tied for the ninth-fewest sacks in the NFL in 2022. They’ll fall at least two spots in 2023, thanks to the departures of Bradley Chubb and Dre’Mont Jones. Randy Gregory will lead the team in sacks, despite missing at least a handful of games.
18. Jerry Jeudy will be the leading receiver
The Broncos receiving yard leaderboard will look like this:
- Jerry Jeudy
- Tim Patrick
- Courtland Sutton
- Greg Dulcich
- Chase Edmonds
- KJ Hamler
19. Russell Wilson will throw 19 touchdowns
If Russell Wilson threw 19 touchdowns, that would have ranked 15th in the NFL in 2022. Remember, he’ll have one more week after the turn of the calendar to break the 20-touchdown mark.
20. The Broncos will win 8 games
Again, this is before the final week of the season. So the Broncos will carry an 8-8 record into a Week 18 home matchup with the Chiefs. They’ll need a win and at least two other results to break in their favor to make the playoffs in the final week.
